MBB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[CMSfan]

To be honest, I think CMS was lucky to keep it as close as they did in the first half.  Soldner (#30) really isn't a great shooter or scorer for them, so his offensive outburst was unexpected.  I was disappointed in the Stags defense overall, but I'll chalk that up to Whitworth's strength and balance on offense.  Whitworth got the Stags to play a faster paced, higher scoring game than they usually play, so that did not bode well.

I'd have loved for the Stags to have been able to host because I think Ducey Gym is conducive to a more physical game...but I have to say the better team won tonight.

[OxyBob]

Whitworth got the Stags to play a faster paced, higher scoring game than they usually play, so that did not bode well.

For the season, on average Claremont allowed 60.9 points per game. For the season, on average Whitworth scored 80.6 points per game. Last night Claremont didn't stop Whitworth from doing exactly what they've done all year.

Question: Since Ken Scalmanini became Claremont head coach in 1999, how many times has Claremont won a game in which they allowed 80 or more points?

Answer: 9 times.

11/16/01 CMS 98, UPS 85
12/15/01 CMS 90, Concordia-Irvine 85
02/04/04 CMS 106, Redlands 87
02/07/04 CMS 93, La Verne 80
02/26/04 CMS 123, Redlands 121
01/26/05 CMS 126, Redlands 117
02/19/05 CMS 137, Redlands 96
12/03/05 CMS 110, Redlands 89
01/11/06 CMS 124, Redlands 97

Eliminate the Traveling Freak Show from the equation and the Stags haven't won a game in which they gave up 80 or more in more than 5 years.

OxyBob

[LogShow]

Just wanted to say congrats to CMS on a great season.

[nwhoops1903]

Whitworth got the Stags to play a faster paced, higher scoring game than they usually play, so that did not bode well.

For the season, on average Claremont allowed 60.9 points per game. For the season, on average Whitworth scored 80.6 points per game. Last night Claremont didn't stop Whitworth from doing exactly what they've done all year.

Question: Since Ken Scalmanini became Claremont head coach in 1999, how many times has Claremont won a game in which they allowed 80 or more points?

Answer: 9 times.

11/16/01 CMS 98, UPS 85
12/15/01 CMS 90, Concordia-Irvine 85
02/04/04 CMS 106, Redlands 87
02/07/04 CMS 93, La Verne 80
02/26/04 CMS 123, Redlands 121
01/26/05 CMS 126, Redlands 117
02/19/05 CMS 137, Redlands 96
12/03/05 CMS 110, Redlands 89
01/11/06 CMS 124, Redlands 97

Eliminate the Traveling Freak Show from the equation and the Stags haven't won a game in which they gave up 80 or more in more than 5 years.

OxyBob

I think that was WW game plan..score 81.

[Sabretooth Tiger]

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/ncaa_expands_march_madness_to?utm_source=nav

[OxyBob]

Caltech made an appearance on the CBS show Numb3rs. From Oliver Eslinger's blog Doc's Head Games:

Cutting and Shooting... for TV

So, the other day, a friend of mine points out a story from the New York Times  -- a synopsis of what it feels like to make a cameo on a television show. Coincidentally, I now know exactly of what the author speaks. Numb3rs, the CBS Friday night hit now in its fifth season, is often filmed on Caltech's campus -- the premise, not surprisingly, that the profs at the fictional Caltech known as Cal Sci, lay the mathematical groundwork to help solve crimes. As such, the producers contacted us to see if we were interested in having members of the current Caltech team take part in a couple of episodes... and, yes, we followed through. I had the good fortune of collaborating with the producers, directors, and writers as filming happened... and also was asked to play the minor role of Pete, one of the Cal Sci players. Everyone involved presumed this to be a good situation, as I would be able to direct my actual players on the court as the cameras rolled. I took on the role of athlete/actor-coach/director liaison.

What was most intriguing was not the opportunity to be in the show, but to understand what happens on the set. It was much like running a basketball practice. There needs to be structure, a solid plan before starting the day. Communication and organization are imperative as time is of the essence. And directors are able to stop and start and manipulate and move ideas and people around, as if playing a high paced, spontaneous game. If it is necessary to do another take (and many of them at various angles), then the schedule is pushed back. Get it right, then move on. If the marks are missed, if an actor doesn't perform, if emotions get out of control... well, figure it out. Of course, there is no actual game that will occur -- TV can do what it needs to make the resulting production appear perfect. But the process is like a hoops practice. I understand why Numb3rs is in season five. There is a great crew, a professional cast -- like a veteran team who understands the system. Everyone, as Judd Hirsch discussed, knows how to get the best out of the program because there is a solid foundation with effective team chemistry.

The experience paralleled many of the situations written in the NYT, from the personal trailer, to makeup and wardrobe, to standing in a certain place, to the desire to deliver input that requires realistic basketball sequences. It was exciting and educational and the players certainly enjoyed their time being on set with Hollywood actors and the two Lakers. The actual show airs on Friday, March 13 at 10 pm (folks can catch the last episode on cbs.com that featured a scene with us at the end).

The perfect basketball game, after countless practice time, should be glorious. We'll see what a made-for-television game looks like after hours of cutting and splicing in the editing room...

You can see Coach Eslinger and the Caltech players in this video clip, along with Pau Gasol and Jordan Farmar of the LA Lakers.

OxyBob

[Gray Fox]

Coach Dow would have loved to have had these guys.

[OxyBob]

The D3hoops.com All-West Region Team was announced. SCIAC honorees were Claremont's Chris Blees, who was chosen Second Team all-region, and CLU's Aaron Van Klaveren, who was chosen Rookie of the Year.

The complete team selections are here:

http://www.d3hoops.com/all-region/09/westmen.htm

OxyBob

[OxyBob]

A trip down memory lane in this article from the Riverside Press-Enterprise:

Villanova's faced bigger upsets

Villanova expects to have the full force of a large, home town Wachovia Center crowd on its side today when it plays UCLA in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

No doubt it will be a lot different than the last time the Wildcats played a California school.

"One of the most memorable basketball experiences of my life," said Villanova coach Jay Wright, whose eyes brightened Friday when reminded about Nov. 22, 2003, when the big-time Big East school took on tiny University of Redlands in teensy Currier Gym.

"The place was packed. They were really enthusiastic, but not nasty like crowds can get. It was just a great atmosphere."

The head count was an overflow 1,128, including the students who sat under the basket along the baseline, and in the stands with their knees up against the backs of Villanova's players.

"Our bench was the bottom row of the bleachers," Wright said.

Ah, the charm.

The game itself was a bizarre matchup to begin with. 'Nova, a Division 1 stalwart with a 1985 NCAA championship, against the Bulldogs, a middling Division 3 program.

But Villanova was in an odd spot. A handful of players were serving NCAA-mandated suspensions for misusing a campus phone. Wright's team was on its way to the Maui Classic in Hawaii and wanted to squeeze in a game to get through the suspensions.

Wright remembered having only five scholarship players and a few walk-ons available. Longtime Redlands coach Gary Smith was a willing foil, but he had an odd advantage on his side that tested Villanova more than it anticipated.

Redlands was playing the fastest up-tempo game in the country, routinely breaking 100 points, pressing full court and trading three-point shot after three-point shot against their opponents' usual twos.

...

No one on Villanova's current roster was on the team, but the school's sports information director, Mike Sheridan, remembers it well. Smith played 16 Bulldogs that day, with 11 getting between 16 and 20 minutes.

"Their coach changed shifts like it was a hockey game," Sheridan said. "I remember subs coming in and out on the fly, and how hard they played."

Not to mention how effectively. The Bulldogs led by a point at halftime and got it up to 69-62 early in the second half.

...

But the visitors eventually got their bearings, and control of the game. It helped that they had a pair of future NBA players on the team: sophomores Allan Ray, who scored 38 points, and Randy Foye, who poured in 25.

Redlands ultimately fell, 114-103, with Derek Flegal scoring 26. The Bulldogs made 24 of 64 three-point shots -- just another day at the office for Redlands, but noteworthy in Villanova annals.

Sheridan said once when Louisville reached 13 three-point field goals against Villanova, he checked to see what the opponent record was.

"Not even close," he said, anticipating that the U of R will have a long stay in the 'Nova record book.

As well as in Wright's memory.

"Their crowd gave their team a standing ovation," Wright said. "I remember clapping for their fans."

Then the Wildcats raced for the airport. Adding to the surreal aura, the game had begun at 10 a.m. to accommodate Villanova's flight to Hawaii.

Today's 10 a.m. game (1 p.m. Eastern) figures to be a bit more traditional, in the 21,600-seat Wachovia Center, with "most of the building rooting for them," in the words of UCLA coach Ben Howland.

If UCLA wins, the crowd isn't nasty to the Bruins, and Howland claps for the Villanova fans, we'll take it all back.

OxyBob

[DIIIghetto]

This is my first post in a year.  I took the year off out of fear that the conference would take a step back.  It did.  Moving forward, it is clear to me that we need one of our teams to have a hell of a season to put itself in a position to play a 1st round game at home against the superior NWC.   Short of that, we have a significant gap to make up between our best and a road game against the NWC.  Here is to hoping that all of our programs are able to improve significantly before next November.  Claremont, Oxy and Pomona have so much to offer that they should focus on competing against the NWC for in-region recruits.  I see a guy like Whitworth's Sims last year and wonder whether or not he could have done better by going to a place like Oxy - maybe if he had he would be over in Germany right now with Conner W.  Whittier and Redlands should do what they can to bring in disgruntled DII transfers and Juco's.   Same goes for La Verne.  Cal Lu should do whatever it is that they do to bring in the horses they have had in the past. 

I have heard all of the counter points: cost of the schools, admissions challenges, administrative apathy, too much competition from local NAIA and DII programs.  I think those are poor excuses that have helped too many in the SCIAC justify our terrible national competitiveness for too long. 

[Gray Fox]

This is my first post in a year.  I took the year off out of fear that the conference would take a step back.  It did.  Moving forward, it is clear to me that we need one of our teams to have a hell of a season to put itself in a position to play a 1st round game at home against the superior NWC.   Short of that, we have a significant gap to make up between our best and a road game against the NWC.  Here is to hoping that all of our programs are able to improve significantly before next November.  Claremont, Oxy and Pomona have so much to offer that they should focus on competing against the NWC for in-region recruits.  I see a guy like Whitworth's Sims last year and wonder whether or not he could have done better by going to a place like Oxy - maybe if he had he would be over in Germany right now with Conner W.  Whittier and Redlands should do what they can to bring in disgruntled DII transfers and Juco's.   Same goes for La Verne.  Cal Lu should do whatever it is that they do to bring in the horses they have had in the past. 

I have heard all of the counter points: cost of the schools, admissions challenges, administrative apathy, too much competition from local NAIA and DII programs.  I think those are poor excuses that have helped too many in the SCIAC justify our terrible national competitiveness for too long. 

+k

You forgot Cal Tech.

[Sabretooth Tiger]

From the Oxy website:

Whitman Leads Herzöge to Best Finish in Franchise History

Wolfenbüttel GERMANY (May 1, 2009) - Just over six months ago Connor Whitman stepped on the court for his fist professional basketball game as a starting point guard for the Herzöge Wolfenbüttel. Since that time his team has completed its 30-game schedule and with Oxy's former star guard leading the way, the Herzöge have performed so well that they are expected to move from the Pro B to Pro A league next year.

The 2008 graduate of Occidental College is enjoying his time overseas and has been highly productive in a league where he is one of the only Division III athletes. Whitman relishes facing opponents who played at large Division I schools, which include the University of Oregon, Ohio State University and Bucknell University.

"Most of these guys make the big mistake of overlooking me because I played at a small college," replied Whitman when asked to explain what he attributes his great year to.

"It was evident from my experience this year that most of the guys I face in the German professional league who come from larger NCAA Division I universities have a more difficult time transitioning from the less significant roles they played in college than I did coming from an outstanding small college program at Occidental where my role was much more significant."

During the 2008-09 season, Whitman lead the entire league in three-point field goals made with 106. He averaged 17.4 points per game, which was second on the Herzöge and ranked 21st among all players in the 16-team league in scoring. By far his most memorable game of the season came on Dec. 6 when he dropped 43 points on 12-for-13 shooting against Landshut. Ten times has he scored more than 20 points and incredibly in only three games he failed to reach double-figure scoring.

Whitman, who played 37 minutes per game, shot 40.1% from the field overall and held a 39.4% clip from three-point range. In addition to his shooting prowess, he grabbed 3.8 rebounds per game and dished out 3.8 assists per game. He also stole the ball 1.4 times per game for the Herzöge.

"We started the season as a vastly underrated organization and the goals of our team were to stay in the league," he recollected. "Coming into the season the record for victories in a season was 13, and we have surpassed that, nearly doubling the win-total (22-8) and finished second overall in the league."

The top two teams are granted the opportunity to move from Pro A to Pro B, something that Herzöge Wolfenbüttel will investigate and hopefully be able to do for the 2009-10 season.

Throughout the season he had the opportunity to travel the country and play in numerous different venues. The largest crowd he played before was a packed venue of 7,000 people in a "rivalry game" between the Herzöge and. Braunshweig, which is only 20 minutes from the team's home court.

"The atmosphere of the Derby game was great," Whitman shared. "The game at their house was my favorite place to play because we played in the arena that the 1st division team uses. There was a sold out, rowdy crowd and on top of it all, we won."

Overall the season was a huge success, which Whitman credited to a well balanced team and a great chemistry.

"Connor has turned into an outstanding point guard." Head Coach Mahmut Atman said of the Oxy grad. "Coach Newhall described Connor as a shooting guard who could play point guard, but at our level most shooting guards are in the 6-foot-4 to 6-foot-6 range. Connor has worked hard on his ball handling skills and has become more of a true distributer.  He is also an outstanding on ball defender. The best compliment that I can give to Connor is that he is fundamentally sound and a complete player."

Whitman continues the success of Occidental's basketball alumni to play at the international level.

"I have known Coach Newhall for many years," said Herzöge president Bobby Junger. "In addition to signing Song Cun, Sam Betty and Connor Whitman all from Occidental he has also given me many recommendations of quality players who have fit well with our club."

Following the success that Whitman has experienced this year, he is sure to have additional international basketball opportunities in the future.

"I think that my first professional season has been very successful and I am excited to see what this year has opened up for me."

[OxyBob]

Oxy basketball in the news! From the Yamhill County News Register:

What does a professional team mean to Yamhill County?

Professional basketball is coming to Yamhill County soon. As soon, in fact, as late May.

The Yamhill High Flyers, affiliated with the International Basketball League, an organization with a five-year history, will start an abbreviated season in Portland May 26 against a club from China. The team's first home game will come two days later at 7:15 p.m. at McMinnville's Patton Middle School.

2009's four-game schedule will give local basketball fans just enough action to whet their appetites for a full-season campaign in 2010. At least that's the hope of High Flyers' General Manager Eric Bailey, IBL officials and several local sponsors.

But just what will a professional sports franchise mean to McMinnville specifically and Yamhill County in general? The most obvious answer is that the team will provide one more activity for sports fans to enjoy during the spring season as the NBA playoffs wind down following a long campaign and the Major League Baseball season is just getting underway.
...

To kick off the inaugural season, Bailey organized a press conference Friday at McMinnville City Park and a number of local dignitaries were on hand to welcome the High Flyers. All were looking forward to the team's first of home game.

The tone of Friday's press conference was optimistic, not only with local dignitaries and team officials, but the three players in attendance as well. Chris Hunt, a 6-foot-7 forward from Occidental College, explained that his folks own a winery in California. Before returning to Portland later in the afternoon, he said he just might visit a few local wineries to sample their products.
...

Hopefully, sports fans in general and basketball fans in particular will jump on the High Flyers — and IBL's — bandwagons right off the get-go and give the team and league their support as the Yamhill High Flyers become an integral part of the county's sports fare.

High Flyers earn franchise's first win in home debut

The Yamhill High Flyers of the International Basketball League played their first home game at Patton Middle School, hosting Japan's Nippon Tornadoes. Fittingly, the High Flyers earned the first win in franchise history in front of a strong crowd, beating the Tornadoes 140-121 behind a strong inside presence led by Jason Hartford. He finished with 38 points and 16 rebounds, while Chris Hunt had 31 points and 19 boards.

OxyBob

[Gray Fox]

Is defense not allowed in the IBL?

[coco]

No, they don't allow defense. That's against the rules.

Actually, the Japanese team was very good at shooting threes, and they were too short to block our guys. I went to the game with a friend. Hunt was clearly one of the two strongest players on the team. They wore the Nippon Tornadoes down in the second half.

The game moves pretty fast, and the shot clock is only 22 seconds.